Beckett AquaSmart vs. Logamatic

Logamatic

I Like the Logamatic control.  The Logamatic has a few advantages over the AquaSmart.

1.  There is no need for any additional zone panels or relays.

Use the BFU room temp sensor and put the main living part of the house on constant circulation.  Then any other zones you have for space heating have them open and close with zone valves. Photo 1.

2. The Logamatic has a sensor you put outside on the north wall to do true outdoor reset.  The AquaSmart uses the Beckett Heat Manager formula to determine the high set point.  It works but then why did they come out with a add on for true outdoor reset?

3. Constant circulation.  This is a feature that I just adore.  If you keep your house at 70.  Any time the temp outside goes below 70 the heating circulator turns on and sends water through the system.  Here is the real savings.  In stead of using a thermostat you have a BFU or room temp sensor.  What this sensor does is tell the system if there is a heat gain or loss in the home.  Now we are talking room reset. 



Example.  Thanksgiving day you have the family over.  Lets say 15 people.  Outdoor temp 64 F.  On a system with the AquaSmart it will send 140 F water through the system.  What might happen and most likely will is the house over heats.  You open a window to cool the house down.  Waist of fuel.  Or you turn down the thermostat only to be cold later on when everyone leaves.  Not to mention the heat gain from cooking the food. 

The Logamatic with the BFU will know about the heat gain from the people, food, TV, and start bumping the boiler temp down to compensate.  It might only send 117 F water through the system.  Then when the oven is turned off and no more food is on the stove and everyone is in a food coma it will pick up the change in conditions and adjust the boiler temp to what is needed to heat the home.  Little to no temp swing.  A thermostat can not could not keep up. 



4. The Logamatic has freeze protection built into the control.  It will turn on the circulators to prevent the pipes from freezing when the water temp drops below a set point.  I think it is 45 F. 

5. Expandability.  If you were to ever do a loop of radiant heating you can add a Buderus mixing station and card to the Logamatic so the control knows everything that is going on.  Control integration is a good thing.

6. The Logamatic control has your indirect zone built into it.  The circulator for the indirect has it's own set of contacts on the control.

7. Cleaner look to the entire job because of less wiring. photo 2.